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Discover the Book - July 27, 2013

Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God.

-Colossians 3:16 NASB, emphasis added

Could I challenge you? For a wonderful worship experience in Revelation, search for all the names and titles of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Over the next few weeks, begin your search by looking, chapter by chapter, for the names and titles of Christ in Revelation. Use markers, colored pencils, or pens to mark each one in a special way that will help you remember where you found them. As you mark each one, ask yourself the "So what?" question: So what does Jesus as the __________ (fill in a name or title)mean in my life for today?

Learn to practice noticing God's presence during each day. Worship ought to become a daily habit: Pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17). Punctuate every moment with inward whisperings of adoration, praise, and thanksgiving: Evening and morning and at noon I will pray, and cry aloud, and He shall hear my voice (Psalms 55:17).

To heighten your preparation for public worship, be sure to have personal times of inner worship, confession, Bible study, and attentiveness to Christ, your present teacher: This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it that you may do all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and have good success (Joshua 1:8).

Learn to worship God in many different settings of worship. Worship God when you are alone. Have home groups not only for Bible study but also for the very experience of worship itself. Gather in little groups of two and three to learn to offer up a sacrifice of praise. Many blessings can occur in smaller gatherings that, just by sheer size, cannot happen in the larger experience. These little experiences of worship will empower and impact your larger Sunday gatherings as well.

Determine to prepare for the gathering of the church for worship. On Saturday night, prepare by having an inward examination and confession prior to going to bed early. On Sunday morning, before the actual worship service, go over the hymns and Scripture passages that will be used that day. Then pray that God will fill the sanctuary with His presence.

You can have one of the most vital ministries at your church by arriving ten to fifteen minutes early and sitting, with your Bible open, in the worship center. Pray that the Holy Spirit will empower those who will minister during the service: the instrumentalists, the orchestra, the choir, the soloists, the worship leaders, and the One who ministers the Word. Let go of all inner distractions so that you can really participate in the worship service.

If you do these things faithfully, you will be well on the way to growing in your ability to worship!